Movie Review - Cocaine Bear

Director: Elizabeth Banks
Genre: Comedy/ Thriller
Runtime: 95 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Keri Russell, Alden Ehrenreich, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Ray Liotta, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Margot Martindale, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Kristoffer Hivju, Hannah Hoekstra, Matthew Rhys
 
Description: An oddball groups of cops, criminals, tourist and teens converge on a Georgia forest where a huge black bear goes on a murderous rampage after unintentionally ingesting cocaine.

Review: Cheap slasher films of the 1980s had a plot as high quality as the budget. Nothing more was needed, it just had to be entertainment. This is also a slasher, set in the 80s, but this time is not a knifed killer on the loose, but a bear.

1985. A drug smuggles makes a mistake that causes hi to crash somewhere in a residential neighborhood. The bags full of cocaine he threw from the plane are now yup for grabs in the Appalachian Mountains. Only a drug lord knows about it and sends some people to get them. Meanwhile, a bear has stumbled upon the cocaine and becomes uninhibitedly addicted to it. All visitors to the preserve are a target.

Elizabeth Banks is a fine actress, in both serious and funny roles. For “Cocaine Bear” she took on the role of director. She has yet to proof herself as a director. “Pitch Perfect 2” was just okay and her version of the outdated TV-series “Charlie’s Angels” wasn’t well-received. “Cocaine Bear” is loads of fun, but it’s not the best movie you will see this year.

Banks does have a great cast to work with. Keri Russell is pretty good, as well as Ray Liotta, in one his last appearances. Margo Martindale is the funniest of the cast, as a park ranger.

This movie feels exactly like a drug trip: chaotic, wild and out of control. I believe it was a fun time, lots of laughs. Do not take it too seriously please, and you will enjoy it.

Rating: 3/ 5

Movie Reviews - A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Director: Marielle Heller
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 109 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Matthew Rhys, Tom Hanks, Chris Cooper, Susan Kelechi Watson, Maryann Plunkett, Enrico Colantoni, Wendy Makkena, Tammy Blanchard, Noah Harpster

Description: Based on the true story of a real-life friendship between Fred Rogers (Tom Hanks) and journalist Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys).

Review: A tough journalist opposite a gentle television icon: this true story is about a peaceful clash between two different worlds.
He sees himself as a competent investigative journalist, but Esquire reporter Lloyd Vogel is send on a smaller assignment by his boss. He has to interview Mister Rogers, a singing, puppet playing TV presenter that was cherished by kids for many years. The interview won’t stay with one meeting and Vogel becomes more and more intrigued by the calm, charismatic and kindhearted Mr. Rogers, who doesn’t only answer questions but also asked a lot himself.
“A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” is not a biopic about Fred Rogers, even though it’s based on true events. Director Marielle Heller takes her time for personal development between Vogel and Rogers. It’s an intimate film. Matthew Rhys is really good as Vogel and Tom Hanks is fantastic in portraying the modest TV icon.
“A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” has a pretty standard story. If it weren’t for the character of Mr. Rogers, this film would be pretty forgettable. It’s his unique character that makes this film feel like a warm hug. Fred Rogers must have been one of the kindest, gentles and warmest people who ever lived. And Tom Hanks manages to translate this to film very well.
I really liked “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”, especially because of Tom Hanks as Mr. Rogers. He is the star and the reason this film is as good as it is.

Rating: 4 / 5

10s Movie Review - Mowgli

Director: Andy Serkis
Genre: Action/ Adventure
Runtime: 107 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Benedict Cumberbatch, Naomie Harris, Eddie Marsan, Andy Serkis, Peter Mullen, Tom Hollander, Matthew Rhys, Freida Pinto

Description: A human child raised by wolves must face off against a menacing tiger named Shere Khan, as well as his own origins

Review: After his parents were killed by tiger Shere Khan, Mowgli is taken in by a wolf pack lead by Akela. Not all animals in the jungle accept Mowgli and as he grows up, he has to work harder to proof himself. As Mowgli gets older, he starts to have doubts about who he is. When Shere Khan announces war between him and the other jungle citizens, Mowgli is forced to live with the people in the village.
In 2016 director Jon Favreau gave us his take on “The Jungle Book”, based on the Disney animation. It had charm, with, adventure and was suited for all ages. Andy Serkis has a different take on the story. It’s still the same basic story. But it’s all a lot darker, has no sing-a-longs and is filled with bloody hunts and has a grim atmosphere. However this is more like the original source material, the novel by Rudyard Kipling, it never convinces completely.
What made “The Jungle Book” so great were the visuals. And although “Mowgli” looks good too, the animals and the special effects aren’t always that great. The somewhat wooden computer animations really don’t work well. And what was the least interesting part of the animation from 1967? Were Mowgli meets the other people. And that’s a big part of this film.
The voice cast is amazing though. Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett and Benedict Cumberbatch were chosen perfectly for their roles. And that the film choses a different path then its predecessor is also a good choice. Too little, too late is definitely the case for “Mowgli”.

Rating: 3 / 5

Movie Reviews - The Post

Director: Steven Spielberg
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 116 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Sarah Paulson, Bob Odenkirk, Bradley Whitford, Tracy Letts, Bruce Greenwood, Matthew Rhys, Alison Brie, Jesse Plemons, David Cross, Zach Woods, Pat Healy

Description: A cover-up that spanned four U.S. Presidents pushed the country's first female newspaper publisher (Meryl Streep) and a hard-driving editor (Tom Hanks) to join an unprecedented battle between the press and the government.

Review: It’s a sin to spoil the ending of a movie, unless it’s a film based on historic events. Because you already know the outcome (hopefully). In the last shot of “The Post”, there are hints to the Watergate affair. Due to two journalist of the Washington Post, this scandal came to light which eventually lead to Richard Nixon stepping away from his role as president of the US.
The paper already had a name and fame at that time. And how that happened, director Steven Spielberg shows us in “The Post”, where the journalists get their hand on the so-called Pentagon Papers. These classified documents are proof that the Vietnam war was always doomed to fail. And four presidents knew about it.
“The Post” is still relevant and a nod to Trump. But it also feels like a prequel to “All the President’s Men”, which was about the Watergate affair. But in “The Post” this isn’t as much focus on the case as there was in “All the President’s Men”.
We follow Kay Graham, the first female editor and trying to stay alive in a man’s world. And the fight that the Washington Post is constant battling agains the bigger paper, The New York Times.
When we see Hanks’ and Streep’s character together for the first time, we think that Hanks’ Ben Bradlee is superior to Streep’s Kay Graham. But in fact she is his boss. That was the role of a woman in business back then. People believe she is only boss because her husband died. Even during dinner, the women have to leave the table when the men talk business. Spielberg manages to picture this perfectly.
I wished there was a little bit more focus on the actual story they are trying to cover. Then this movie would have been even better. And I believe that if it wasn’t for Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep, “The Post” would have been average.

Rating: 3,5 / 5